10 reasons to watch UFC Fight Night 36

Four standouts in the UFC’s 185-pound division – Lyoto Machida, Gegard Mousasi, Ronaldo Souza and Francis Carmont – headline Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 36. With current kingpin Chris Weidman moving on from a residency opposite former champ Anderson Silva, contenders are lining up for the next No. 1 contender spot.

The question now is who can break out of the pack and become the division’s obvious choice for a shot at the belt. Weidman, who’s put Silva on the shelf for up to a year with a broken leg, meets an established and controversial name in ex-champ Vitor Belfort in May at UFC 173. But opponents who boast both marquee value and a winning streak are hard to find these days at middleweight. Fans can thank Belfort for knocking a trio of possibilities – Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold and Dan Henderson – out of the running for the near future.

Of the top-billed fighters, Machida is the best positioned to capitalize on a win as a former light heavyweight champ with one highlight-reel KO already under his belt in a new weight class. Mousasi’s stock would jump hugely if he were able to pull off the upset. But like Souza and Carmont, he’s still gathering steam as a bankable attraction.

Souza, a former Strikeforce champion, is one of the more exciting additions to middleweight in recent memory and notched a huge win over onetime title challenger Yushin Okami. He could be on the fast track if he puts away Carmont, whose grinding style hasn’t seemed to win him any points with the UFC’s brass.

But as with all fight cards without belts at stake, the only promise of movement comes in the moments after an impressive performance that gets fans talking. Machida and Souza are the guys that have done that as of late, so they lead the conversation.

It’s going to take a while, though, to reinvigorate a division so dominated by one player for so long. Saturday’s bouts are a step in the right direction.

UFC Fight Night 36 takes place at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil. The event’s main card airs live on FOX Sports 1 following prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

1) An elusive title shot
Two years ago, Lyoto Machida (20-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) was named the light heavyweight No. 1 contender after knocking out Ryan Bader. Then he turned down a short-notice title fight with champ Jon Jones at UFC 152, and subsequently, his title prospects dimmed. After a brief stint in limbo and a controversial loss to Phil Davis, he seized a long overdue opportunity to drop to 185 pounds, where he immediately established himself as a division threat by knocking out Mark Munoz via head kick. UFC President Dana White is back on board the Machida train, and the time is now for “The Dragon” to take the No. 2 spot behind Belfort.

2) Spoiler alert
Gegard Mousasi (34-3-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) made a good observation when he pointed out that his past two fights have been booked against guys on the cusp a title shot, and he “knows how it looks” – meaning, the UFC either has a lot of belief in him, or he’s providing a credible stepping stone to his opposition’s career advancement. In his first octagon bout, Mousasi ended up in a lose-lose situation when Alexander Gustafsson was ruled out of their scheduled bout this past April, and he wound up fighting the unknown Ilir Latifi on a bum knee. Now, after 10 months on the bench, he gets a chance to play spoiler for real this time. The question is whether that bum knee, which has twice been surgically repaired, is a sign of a physical decline that comes with almost 40 pro MMA bouts and eight in kickboxing. Mousasi is a talented striker with a serviceable ground game, but it’s a question mark as to whether the timing is right for a title run.

3) Gator roll
At 34, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (19-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC) appears to be in his prime. No longer an expert grappler playing at standup, he is a dangerous at all ranges and boasts some of the best coaches and trainers in Brazil. By dispatching the hard-nosed Yushin Okami with ease, Souza put the division on notice in his first octagon outing. Now, he needs to stuff the wrestling of Francis Carmont (22-7 MMA, 6-0 UFC), who stylistically mirrors his mentor, former champ Georges St-Pierre, in timing takedowns and smothering opponents. If he’s able to impress, he’s perhaps one or two fights from a title shot.

4) A gauntlet for the grinder
If you’re a fan of takedowns, top control, and a measured attack, you love Francis Carmont. If you’re the majority of UFC fans, who don’t fear grappling, but static exchanges, the French fighter drives you nuts. Whichever it is, you want to tune in to see whether Carmont can get by perhaps his most dangerous challenge – an explosive striker and jiu-jitsu master in Souza. If he beats the Brazilian, don’t count on him getting a title shot. But it may be more and more difficult to acknowledge his talent after a series of close fights and decisions.

5) Second Silva reboot
The 29-year-old Erick Silva (15-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) was the hottest thing in the welterweight division before he met Jon Fitch, but a loss to the former title challenger was considered growing pains. There was no mistaking the meaning of his next setback, a crazy KO loss to Dong Hyun Kim. Silva is no longer the new kid on the block, but the UFC is still banking that his talent will be realized, as evidenced by a main-card fight with King of Pancrase welterweight champ Takenori Sato (17-8-7 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who makes his octagon debut. The Brazilian fighter has perhaps one last chance to work his way back up the ladder.

6) Welterweight slugfest
Welterweights Nicholas Musoke (11-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and Viscardi Andrade (17-5 MMA, 1-0 UFC) showed no hesitancy in throwing down in their octagon debuts, and they appear poised to do the same against each other. Musoke took several hammers to rock and submit Alessio Sakara, while Andrade, a veteran of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 2,” quickly took out Bristol Marunde. Andrade is coming off a slightly longer layoff, but he showed promise on the reality show. Now, he takes a step up against an evenly matched foe.

7) Oliveira on the rocks
Featherweight Charles Oliveira (16-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) is a victim of his own success. The 24-year-old Brazilian impressed the UFC’s brass so much in early fights that he got thrown against opponents he probably wasn’t ready to beat. Now, he’s facing the prospect of a third consecutive loss after getting knocked out by Cub Swanson and giving Frankie Edgar all he could handle. Andy Ogle (9-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) appears to be a rehabilitative opponent, but that would also be to count out his toughness in a recent fight with Cole Miller. Oliveira’s long and lanky striking attack probably will carry the day, but it’s going to be a scrap.

8) Reis on a run
Former EliteXC bantamweight champion Wilson Reis (17-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC) stumbled under Bellator’s tournament format, but seems to have found new life in the octagon following a debut win over veteran Ivan Menjivar. With five wins under his belt, he stands to take a big step up in the 135-pound division if he’s able to beat the tough Yuri Alcantara (28-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC). If he’s wise, he’ll take a page from Urijah Faber’s book and use his grappling prowess to overwhelm his fellow Brazilian.

9) Eastern promises
Yet more Russian talent is inbound to the octagon, with top prospects Albert Tumenov (12-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Zubair Tuhugov (15-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) set to make their UFC debuts. Welterweight Tumenov has stopped his past six opponents via TKO or KO and meets the younger brother of Yuri Alcantara, Ildemar Alcantara (19-6 MMA, 2-1 UFC). Featherweight Tuhugov also enjoys a half-dozen recent wins, half of them by stoppage (including a recent spinning back-kick KO), and meets undefeated Brazilian prospect Douglas Silva de Andrade (22-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who’s also stopped his past six foes by KO or TKO. One of the Russians is bound to find his opponent’s chin.

10) Cut list
Eight of Saturday’s 14 preliminary-card fighters are coming off recent losses, so it’s more than likely that a few competitors will come home to an email informing them of a contract release. Here’s a guess: You’ll know a few of them as soon as they step out of the octagon.

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